Garage doorway screen

ABSTRACT

A net is adapted to stretch across the entire width of a garage doorway to cover a vertical portion of the doorway. The net comprises an open weave web portion having a closed weave border. Two brackets mounted one on each side of the doorway near the floor include lugs spaced above the garage floor. Straps extend from the bottom and top portions of the border toward the brackets and loop through the lugs and back onto themselves where hook-and-loop fasteners secure them in place. One or more intermediate straps may extend from each end of the net between the top and bottom straps to corresponding lugs. The garage door freely passes in front of the net to close the doorway as normal.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to doorway accessories, andparticularly to accessories for covering openings below partially openedgarage doors. More particularly, this invention relates to a net adaptedto be stretched from one side of the doorway to the other beneath thegarage door.

2. Description of Related Art

Sectioned garage doors typically employ several horizontal panels hingedtogether to allow the door to follow a curved track when raisedoverhead. Such doors are supported on the ends of each panel by rollerswhich follow an inverted-L shaped track mounted vertically on eitherside of the door opening. Especially when raised and lowered by anautomatic door opener, such garage doors may be stopped at any levelabove the garage floor, leaving a horizontal opening the width of thedoorway beneath the bottom door panel. Owners often use this techniqueto increase ventilation and light or to permit pets to enter and leavethe garage. Unless covered, this opening also may allow unwantedintrusions by pests of various sizes. If the owner wishes to deter suchintrusions or to confine small children or pets within the garage fortheir safety, while providing them with ventilation, light and visualaccess outdoors, the opening must be covered. Means for convenientlycovering such openings while maintaining ventilation, light andvisibility would assist such motives.

Numerous prior art devices exist which attempt, but fall short of, theachievements of the present invention. Most attach to the bottom panelof the door and comprise a screen-like extension thereof. Some includerigid frames which couple to the bottom edge of the bottom panel andeither hingedly or slidingly retract when the door must be closed. Theseare heavy, complicated, usually expensive and prone to damage andmalfunction. Others rely on the screen material itself for structuralintegrity and must attach to the garage floor for stability. Suchattachments obstruct ingress and egress to the garage, can cause tiredamage and can be damaged in turn, causing failure. A need exists forefficient means for covering garage door openings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide means forcovering a gap below the bottom of a garage door that allows ventilationand light into the garage.

It is another object of this invention to provide means for covering agap below a garage door that prevents intrusion by pests.

It is another object of this invention to provide means for covering agap below a garage door that can create a ventilated indoor play areafor small children and pets while confining them and preventing themfrom wandering into danger outside the garage.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide means for coveringa gap below a garage door that is inexpensive and easy to install.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide means for coveringa gap below a garage door that does not attach to the movable garagedoor itself, nor to the floor below it.

The foregoing and other objects of this invention are achieved byproviding a net adapted to stretch across the entire width of a garagedoorway to cover a vertical portion of the doorway. The net comprises anopen weave web portion having a closed weave border. Two bracketsmounted one on each side of the doorway near the floor include lugsspaced above the garage floor. Straps extend from the bottom and topportions of the border toward the brackets and loop through the lugs andback onto themselves where hook-and-loop fasteners secure them in place.One or more intermediate straps may extend from each end between the topand bottom straps. The garage door freely passes in front of the net toclose the doorway as normal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features believed characteristic of the present invention areset forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, as wellas a preferred mode of use and further objects and advantages thereof,will best be understood by reference to the following detaileddescription of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a garage, as seen from outside inthe driveway, depicting the present invention installed in the doorway.

FIG. 2 is a rear elevation view, as seen from inside the garage, of thepresent invention installed on the garage doorway of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a partial top plan view of the present invention, as indicatedin FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 details in perspective one end of the invention installed as inFIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 5 details one end of the net portion of the present inventionbefore installation.

FIGS. 6 and 7 are front and side views respectively of the wall bracketof the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference now to the figures, and in particular to FIGS. 1-4,garage 1 comprises wall 2 having doorway opening 4 extending across adriveway which typically provides access into the interior of garage 1through opening 4. Garage door 3 further comprises a plurality ofhorizontal, rectangular sections or panels 5 disposed one atop the nextand coupled together by hinges 10. Panels 5 are supported by rollers 9which travel within rails 7 extending on either side of opening 4 insidegarage 1. Rails 7 are supported by mounting brackets 8 attached to theinside of wall 2.

Some garage doors 3 may be operated by electric garage door openers (notshown) adapted automatically or manually to raise and lower door 3. Suchdoor openers typically may be operated to stop the door manually at anypoint along its path of travel, leaving a gap beneath bottom edge 6 ofbottom panel 5. The operator of the garage door opener can control theheight of this opening by stopping the opener accordingly. Such openersoften include sensors 11 mounted near floor 13 on either side of doorway4 which detect obstructions and prevent door 3 from closing until theobstruction is removed.

As seen best in FIGS. 3 and 4, net 20 is stretched horizontally acrossopening 4 behind the gap below panel edge 6 to cover substantially allof opening 4 not covered by door 3. Net 20 extends vertically to aheight H shown to be substantially the height of the gap below door 3.One having ordinary skill in the art will recognize, however, that thesize of this gap is arbitrary, and could be a fraction or multiples ofheight H without departing from the spirit and scope of the presentinvention. Nevertheless, a typical installation would contemplate thegap beneath edge 6 being substantially equivalent to height H, withperhaps a small amount of overlap between the top of net 20 and edge 6.

Net 20 further comprises screen 21 surrounded by border 23 to form arectangle having a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to andextending the length of opening 4. Thus, net 20 is sized at least tocover the horizontal width of opening 4 to a height H above floor 13.

Screen 21 comprises one of a variety of open web, woven materials havingapertures, defined by strands of material, that are smaller thatanticipated pests such as insects yet open enough to admit satisfactoryamounts of air and/or light. A suitable screen 21 material is PetScreen,a strong fiberglass screen available from Phifer Wire Products, Inc., ofTuscaloosa, Ala. (www.phifer.com). Border 23 comprises one of a varietyof closed web woven materials having sufficient tensile strength towithstand substantial tugging to tighten net 20 across opening 4. Asuitable border 23 material is All Weather Indoor/Outdoor Canvasavailable from John Boyle & Co. of Grand Prairie, Tex.(www.johnboyle.com). Net 20 also may include one or more vertical braces24, preferably comprising additional material from which border 23 iscomposed.

Referring now also to FIG. 5, straps 25 overlap a portion of border 23and form elongate belts which extend horizontally beyond the perimeterof net 20 defined by border 23. Straps 25 overlap border 23 such thatthey extend substantially as far as the last brace 24 disposed at theends of net 20. The figures depict three (3) straps 25, top and bottomstraps 25 being superimposed along a portion of border 23 itself, whilemiddle strap 25 crosses border 23 to couple to both braces 24. Onehaving ordinary skill in the art will recognize that fewer or moremiddle straps 25 may be employed within the spirit and scope of thepresent invention. Middle strap 25 extends only across braces 24,thereby minimizing its obstruction to the opening covered by screen 23.Straps 25 further include hook-and-look fastening means 26 along atleast a portion of their length. As discussed below, straps 25 areadapted to loop through lugs 33 on brackets 30 and to be drawn tight andlapped back onto themselves where fasteners 26 hold them in place,thereby securing net 20 in place.

Referring now also to FIGS. 6 and 7, brackets 30 mount to wall 2 oneither side of opening 4 to hold net 20 in place. Each bracket 30comprises elongate base 31 secured to wall 2 by lag screws 35 or otherconvenient attachment means. Bases 31 are disposed substantiallyvertically, paralleling the side of opening 4. They are mounted a spaceddistance away from the sides of opening 4 of wall 2 and farther awayfrom opening 4 than rail brackets 8. One having ordinary skill in theart will recognize that brackets 30 may be mounted in any number ofalternate locations, such as on a side wall adjacent to wall 2 (notshown), as long as they are disposed near opening 4, farther awaytherefrom than rails 7 and at least as close to wall 2 as rails 7. Thereason for this last constraint will be clear from the detaileddiscussion below. Brackets 30 preferably comprise rigid material such assteel, aluminum, suitably malleable but of sufficient strength towithstand necessary tension from straps 25 without bending. Preferably,bases 31 are one fourth (¼″-{fraction (3/16)}″) to three-sixteenths inchthick if made of steel.

Lugs 33 extending from bases 31 are spaced along its vertical lengthsuch that their number and mounting height substantially matches thenumber and height of straps 25. Lugs 33 comprise metal rods bent andattached by each end to base 31 to form a substantially U-shaped orrectangular opening oriented substantially vertically. Lugs 33preferably comprise metal rods such as steel reinforcing bar or U-boltsone fourth (¼″-{fraction (3/16)}″) to three-sixteenths inch in diameter,coupled to bases 31 at both ends and disposed substantiallyperpendicular to bases 31. Though shown in the figures as such closedloops, lugs 33 could comprise alternate structures, such as loops thatextend from bases 31 at an angle (not shown) or structures (e.g. hooks)which do not form a closed loop (not shown) between two points on base31. One having ordinary skill in the art will recognize that all suchalternatives are considered to be within the spirit and scope of thepresent invention.

Net 20 mounts across opening 3 such that either straps 25 or a portionof net 20 itself partially wraps around the interior edge (disposedtoward the interior of garage 1) of rail 7. This has at least twobenefits. First, it causes straps 25 to approach lugs 33 at leastpartially in alignment with them, such that tension pulled into straps25 does not pull on lugs 33 at an acute angle relative to perpendicularto base 3 1. This minimizes cantilever loading on lugs 33 and minimizesthe chance they will bend toward opening 3 and relax the tension in net20, thereby causing net 20 to sag after installation. Second, thetension pulls net 20 tight against rails 7, thereby securing it best infront of opening 4. Further, since net 20 thereby passes behind theinterior edge of rail 7, it does obstruct door 3, which rides on rollers9 within rails 7. Net 20 thus does not impeded closing of door 3, whichmay pass in front of net 20 until edge 6 of bottom panel 5 engages floor13, eliminating the gap beneath edge 6. Net 20 can remain in place withdoor 2 closed in case the operator wishes to restore the gap. When theoperator needs to pass vehicles through opening 4, net 20 may be removedas discussed below.

In operation, the operator lays net 20 across the floor of garage 1substantially parallel wall 2, with fasteners 26 disposed toward theinterior of garage 1. Straps 25 on one end of net 20 then are loopedthrough corresponding lugs 33 of brackets 30 on one side of opening 4and secured with fasteners 26, as depicted in FIGS. 2-4. Straps 25 enterlugs 33 from their side closest to opening 4 and exit lugs 33 away fromopening 4. They then are pulled back toward net 21 to overlapthemselves, whereupon fasteners 26 secure them in place. Next, theoperator loops straps 25 on the opposite end of net 20 through lugs 33in like fashion on the other bracket 30. The operator then tightens thissecond set of straps 25 one at a time until he is satisfied with theappearance and integrity of net 20 across opening 4. Preferably, theoperator pulls tension in straps 25 one at a time until no significantsag is observable in net 20.

Uninstalling net 20 requires simply reversing the above steps. Theoperator releases fasteners 26 on straps 25 at one end of net 20 andpulls straps 25 through and out of lugs 33. He allows net 20 to sag tofloor 13 while he removes in like manner straps 25 from bracket 30 onthe other side of garage 1. He then may roll up or fold net 20 forstorage. Alternately, he may leave straps 25 in place on bracket 30 atone side of garage 1 while rolling up net 20 and storing it besideopening 4 near rail 7. Or, he simply may pull net 20 out of the way,beside a side wall (not shown) adjacent wall 2. The foregoing steps ofinstalling and uninstalling net 20 may be performed with door 3 eitheropen or closed.

The present invention, described in its preferred embodiment, thusserves to cover part or all of a gap formed across opening 4 below door3 when door 3 is partially closed. Net 20 is not intended to be insectproof, but one having ordinary skill in the art will recognize that itwill discourage pests, especially flying ones such as birds or insects,from entering garage 1. Net 20 also can be employed to confine smallchildren or pets within garage 1 while admitting substantial air andlight. Net 20 likewise can prevent many larger animals, such asneighbors' pets or children, from entering garage 1 while door 3 ispartly or entirely open. When the operator chooses to fully open door 2while net 20 is in place, net 20 serves as a fence of height H acrossdoorway 4.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described withreference to one or more embodiments, it will be understood by thoseskilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be madetherein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.For example, net 20 has been depicted and described as beingsubstantially the vertical height of a single panel 5 of door 3, andthat the gap contemplated would be of comparable size. Net 20 could,however, be any practical size, including substantially as large as door3 so to cover the entire opening 4. This would require proportionatelymore straps 25 because of the increased height H of net 20, andcertainly would require longer brackets 30 and more lugs 33 mountedcorrespondingly as high as straps 25. Also, brackets 30 have beendepicted as a single unit of convenient size, but lugs 33 could bemounted directly to wall 2 or other stationary objects without firstbeing attached to bases 31. Further, straps 25 have been depicted ascomprising the same or similar web material as border 23, but they couldcomprise other strap means such as elastic, self-tensioning material(sometimes known as “bungie cords”) or twine or rope, either permanentlyattached to border 23 or adapted to be coupled to border 23 to grommetsor other structures (not shown) within border 23. Likewise, fastenermeans 26 has been described as hook-and-loop fasteners, but couldinstead be other fasteners, such as buttons, snaps or metal hooks (notshown) adapted to cooperate with one of a plurality of appropriatelycorresponding fixtures (not shown) disposed along straps 25 and/orborder 23.

Still further, net 20 has been depicted as spanning a single doorway 4and door 3 which substantially fill wall 2 of garage 1. Such garagedoors are considered “double car” doors, meaning that two standard-widthautomobiles may enter opening 4 side by side. It is not unusual,however, for wall 2 to include one or more (most typically two) suchgarage doors filling its width (not shown) in lieu of a single door,each such door capable of admitting a single car (hence, known as“single car” garage doors), whereby two or more automobiles still mayenter garage 1 through wall 2, but through separate, side-by-side doors.A short, intermediate section (not shown) of wall 2 typically isdisposed between said single car doors to provide anchorage for rails 7on the sides of each single car doorway proximate the other doorway.Rails 7 on the opposite sides of each single car doorway, distal saidintermediate section of wall 2, would be substantially as describedabove for double car garage door 3.

In such case, the owner/operator may employ the present invention in twoalternate ways. First, net 20 may be sized (in horizontal length) to fita single car doorway, thereby being approximately half the length of net20 as described above. In all other ways, net 20 would be substantiallyas described above for double car doorway 4, including two brackets 30,one on either side of each single car doorway. For a two car garage, twonets 20, with corresponding brackets 30 mounted on either side of eachsingle car doorway, each could serve one of the two single car doorsindependently. Alternately, net 20 as described above in the preferredembodiment, capable of spanning double car garage doorway 4, still couldbe employed to span both single car doorways without substantialmodification. Net 20 would couple to brackets 30 and bear against rails7 distal said intermediate section of wall 2 as described above. Net 20also would pass behind rails 7 proximate said intermediate section ofwall 2, optionally being attached thereto by support means betweenproximate rails 7 and upper border 23, thereby further controlling sagin net 20. Such intermediate support means could comprise a small patchof hook-and-loop fastener disposed on border 23 and rail 7 (not shown),or it could comprise clamps or other apparatus (not shown) independentof net 20 but adapted to grasp and hold it as needed. In either case,the presence of multiple single car garage doors would provide theflexibility to create a gap in wall 2 beneath only one door, the gapthereby being only a portion of the width of wall 2.

Further, though the present invention has been described in the contextof garage doors having rails 7, it also could be used in any doorwaycontext, such as Dutch doors which are split top-to-bottom and whichbottom section may be opened independently of the top.

Finally, though the present invention has been described as beingpermeable to both light and air, it could be impermeable to one or theother or both. For example, screen 21 could comprise an air impermeablebut light permeable material such as polyethylene film, making net 20useful in wintertime for admitting light into garage 1 but notpermitting air exchange. This option also could be useful for creatingtemporary greenhouses on patios for wintering of weather-sensitiveplants. Alternately, screen 21 could comprise multiple layers of webmaterial so overlapped that the strands block light sufficiently toprevent anyone from seeing through net 20 while admitting sufficient airto ventilate garage 1. This option also could be useful for creating avisual screen for a patio, hot tub, deck or other area withoutunnecessary stifling of desirable breezes.

1. A ventilating closure system for a doorway, the doorway forming anopening in a wall and having a horizontal width adapted to be spannedand closed by a door, the doorway closure system comprising a screenadapted to stretch across the doorway and having a longitudinal axisextending parallel the doorway width between left and right screen ends;a web portion disposed between the screen ends and having a height, aperimeter and an open, air permeable mesh weave; and a border portiondisposed on and surrounding the perimeter of the web; and tensioningmeans for tensioning the screen across the doorway.
 2. The doorwayclosure system according to claim 1 wherein the tensioning meanscomprises brackets disposed on each side of the doorway adjacent thescreen ends; strap means extending from each screen end and adapted tomate with the brackets; and fastening means for securing the strap meansto the brackets.
 3. The doorway closure system according to claim 2wherein the strap means comprises a plurality of elongate belts coupledto the border and adapted to loop through apertures formed bycorresponding lugs disposed on the brackets.
 4. The doorway closuresystem according to claim 3 wherein the fastening means comprises hookand loop fasteners disposed on one side of each of the belts and adaptedto couple an end of the belt to a portion of the belt near the border.5. The doorway closure system according to claim 2 wherein the strapmeans comprises self-tensioning cords coupled to the border and adaptedto couple to corresponding lugs disposed on the brackets.
 6. The doorwayclosure system according to claim 1 and further comprising a pluralityof vertical braces disposed near the screen ends and extending betweenand perpendicular to upper and lower portions of the border.
 7. Thedoorway closure system according to claim 1 wherein the screen ispermeable to light.
 8. The doorway closure system according to claim 1wherein the screen may be installed with the door open or closed.
 9. Thedoorway closure system according to claim 1 wherein the door may beclosed by lowering it between the screen and the doorway.
 10. A systemfor ventilating a garage, the garage having a garage doorway having ahorizontal width between opposite sides, a garage door suspended acrossthe doorway and adapted partially and wholly to close the doorway, andrails disposed on each side of the doorway along a vertical height ofthe doorway and supporting the garage door, the garage ventilatingsystem comprising a screen adapted to extend across the width of thedoorway and having a web portion disposed between opposite ends adjacentthe sides of the doorway, the web having a height, a perimeter and anopen mesh weave permeable to air; and a border disposed on andsurrounding the perimeter of the web; straps having a proximate endcoupled to the border and a distal end, the straps adapted to extendtoward the sides of the doorway; brackets disposed on each of theopposite sides of the doorway a spaced distance farther from the sidesof the doorway than the rails, the brackets having apertures adapted toreceive the distal ends of the straps; and fasteners disposed on thestraps and adapted to couple the distal end of each strap to the strap.11. The garage ventilating system according to claim 10 wherein thescreen is permeable to light.
 12. The garage ventilating systemaccording to claim 10 wherein a door may be closed and opened with thescreen in place.
 13. The garage ventilating system according to claim 10wherein the fasteners further comprise hook and loop fasteners disposedon one side of the straps adjacent their distal ends.
 14. A garage doorscreen comprising a substantially rectangular web portion having alongitudinal axis extending between opposite screen ends; a borderdisposed on and surrounding the web portion; a plurality of strapshaving proximate strap ends coupled to the border and extending towardopposite sides of the garage door to terminate in distal strap ends; aplurality of lugs disposed on each side of the garage door adjacent thescreen ends, the lugs each and having apertures adapted to receive acorresponding one of the straps; and fasteners disposed on the distalstrap ends and adapted to removably couple the distal strap ends to atleast one location along the strap, whereby the fasteners may beemployed to introduce tension into the border to suspend the screenacross the garage door.
 15. The garage door screen according to claim 14wherein the web portion is permeable to light.
 16. The garage doorscreen according to claim 14 wherein the web portion is permeable toair.
 17. The garage door screen according to claim 14 wherein the webportion is permeable to light and air.
 18. A method of providing anintruder resistant opening across a doorway, the doorway having a widthbetween left and right doorway sides and adapted to be fully orpartially closed and opened using a door, the method comprisingproviding a screen adapted to stretch across the doorway and having alongitudinal axis extending the width of the doorway between left andright screen ends; a web portion disposed between the screen ends andhaving a height and a perimeter; a border disposed on and surroundingthe perimeter; a plurality of straps each having a distal strap end, thestraps coupled to the border and extending beyond the screen ends towardthe doorway sides; and fasteners disposed on the straps and adapted tocouple the distal strap ends to the border; providing a plurality oflugs disposed on the left and right doorway sides adjacent the screenends, the lugs and having apertures adapted to receive the straps; thenlaying the screen across the doorway width adjacent the opening; thenperforming the following steps for each of the left and right screenends: a. extending each of the straps coupled to the screen end througha corresponding lug aperture on the doorway side adjacent the screenend; then b. pulling the strap back toward the border; then c. engagingthe fastener to cause the strap to form an eye looping through theapertures and securing the screen end to the doorway side; thenrepeatedly grasping each of the straps on one of the screen ends andre-engaging the fastener thereon to increase tension in the strap untilthe screen hangs across the opening with acceptable sag.
 19. The methodaccording to claim 18 wherein the fasteners further comprise hook andloop fasteners disposed on one side of the straps adjacent their distalstrap ends.
 20. The method according to claim 18 wherein the web portionextends interior the garage from rails which support the door wherebythe doorway may be closed and opened with the screen in place.